CCCWC February 2018 competition results
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38 clues entered. 32 votes cast (29 competitors, 3 others).
DRUNKENNESS
A closely run competition this month with none of the top 5 from last month surviving to occupy the podium again. So, five "new" names but lead by a familiar one – last year's Annual Competition winner Steve Randall opens his account for 2018, demonstrating that a smooth surface reading is always likely to stand a good chance.
Peter Cargill sneaks into second place with a clue that raised a smile from me with its imagery – even if it had a sinister side to it as well!
Jeff Robinson secures third spot – another amusing surface image, if a little bizarre!
Martin Price hits the top 5 for the first time in a couple of years – also raising a smile at the expense of the nunhood – you cheeky lot, I didn't expect too many nuns to appear when I chose this clue word!
Wait – what's this? Yet another swipe at the poor old nuns from David McKie, back on the podium returning to his form of last year!
Well done to all – I hope you all sober up in time for the March challenge!
| Pos | No. | Name | Clue | Explanation | Points | Merits | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | Steve Randall | A source of slurs and unkind sneers circulating when one's away | unkindsneers* – I | 40 | 1 | 2 |
| 2 | 25 | Peter Cargill | Misguided nuke Royal Navy sends – result of excessive rum ration? | *NUKE+RN+SENDS | 37.5 | 3 | 3 |
| 3 | 12 | Jeffery Robinson | Doctor fumbling nuns' knees as a result of serious boozing | DR/NUNSKNEES* | 35.5 | 2 | 2 |
| 4 | 32 | Martin Price | Spooner's sister may get into a habit? But not this one, one would hope! | Nun can dress/def. | 33 | 0 | |
| 5 | 29 | David McKie | Red Ken's cavorting with nuns? This would explain it! | RED KENS NUNS (anag), and ref politician K.Livingstone (not I hasten to add known for such behaviour!) | 26.5 | 0 | 1 |
| 6 | 17 | John Appleton | Inebriation causing deviant nun to grab man in frock | KEN in NUN*, inside DRESS. | 24 | 4 | 1 |
| 7 | 8 | Colin Thomas | Depression primarily relieved by doctor being merry | Depression = SUNKENNESS; S replaced by DR; being merry = def | 22.5 | 2 | 2 |
| 8 | 13 | Tom Borland | Doctor worried nun's knee's being wrecked | DR + *NUNS KNEES; def. being wrecked | 19 | 1 | 1 |
| 9 | 1 | John Tozer | A French national’s acquired knowledge in clothing? It’s being wasted | ken in un N, all in dress | 18 | 0 | 1 |
| 9 | 37 | Satyen Nabar | Undress sloppily having no awareness in tipsy state | Anag of UNDRESS around N + KEN | 18 | 0 | |
| 11 | 31 | Spiritually elevated state (11) | CD | 17.5 | 1 | 1 | |
| 12 | 26 | Naughty nun keeps knocking-shop, clothed in tight habit. | Wordplay: DR-[un]KEN[n]-ESS. ('Clothed' = in 'dress'). Def: TIGHT HABIT | 16.5 | 2 | ||
| 13 | 10 | Doctor before United Nations knows about society's crapulence. | Dr + UN + kenNESs; def | 10 | 1 | 1 | |
| 14 | 34 | Three sheets to the wind, this pair were wrecked under spinnakers. | Composite anag DRUNKENNESSPAIR <-> UNDERSPINNAKERS. | 9 | 0 | ||
| 15 | 3 | Because of this, the captain renders sunken craft (not QEII).(11) | DRUNKENNESS (Reason for captain sinking ship) = ANAGRAM of (RENDERS + SUNKEN -ER). | 8.5 | 0 | 2 | |
| 16 | 9 | Distortion in both sides of neck under head, characteristic of bloat | (N..K UNDER)* + NESS(head); bloat=drunkard | 7.5 | 2 | ||
| 17 | 36 | Tumbling over, hooligan sustains protuberance on head. The reason? | NE(KNUR)D rev + NESS: hooligan = NED, protuberance = KNUR, head = NESS | 7 | 0 | ||
| 18 | 4 | Boozing doctor’s callous behaviour leaves one dead after injection of drug (11) | Defintion: Boozing. Calllous behaviour (UNKINDNESS) DR + UNKINDNESS-(I D) around E (drug) | 6.5 | 0 | ||
| 18 | 11 | Doctor exploding nuke’s new head for dysfunctional state (11) | DR + anag of NUKE + N + NESS; Defn = dysfunctional state; | 6.5 | 0 | ||
| 20 | 35 | Topless fallen woman finally puts clothes on – it's a tight fit? (11) | DR((s)UNKEN (woma)N)ESS – def: a tight fit (geddit)- QM for crypticness | 6 | 2 | ||
| 21 | 5 | Breaking news – leader with Sun, "Red Ken's Newts' Affliction?" (11) | Anagram (Breaking = anagram indicator) of n{ews}+Sun+red+Ken's. Pissed as a newt is suggested for the definition. Ken Livingstone (AKA Red Ken) is not only a politician, but also a breeder of newts… <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_Livingstone#Personal_life> | 5.5 | 0 | 2 | |
| 21 | 38 | Wobbly knees – under strain after irate dismissal of likely cause? | knees under strain (anag)… LESS 'irate' | 5.5 | 0 | ||
| 23 | 28 | One knows almost new garment hides effect of overindulgence for supper | Definition: 'effect of overindulgence for supper'('supper' = drinker). 'One' = UN + 'knows almost' = KEN ('(kens' losing last letter, + 'new' = N, all hidden in 'garment' = DRESS | 5 | 1 | ||
| 24 | 6 | Brief tipple leads to nuns' knees up – but surely not this! | DR(am) + NUNSKNEES*. "up" = "in an excited state" (Chambers) | 4 | 1 | ||
| 24 | 20 | Insobriety of pickled anorak regularly cavorting with nudeness | (a)N(o)R(a)K + NUDENESS* with 'pickled' and 'cavorting' as anagram indicators | 4 | 2 | ||
| 24 | 23 | Losing nothing Un endorses disturbance around North Korea, could cause imbalance (11) | Definition: could cause imbalance. Wordplay: [UN ENDORSES – O (losing nothing)]* around NK (North Korea). Anagram indicator, disturbance | 4 | 4 | 1 | |
| 27 | 7 | Cricket captain admits career with Kent heading for intemperate end | Cricket captain (Mike) Denness (having Kent in the clue helps identify which captain). Admits is containment indicator; career = run; Kent heading = k; for = link between wordplay and definition which is intemperate end (end=outcome of being intemperate=drunkenness). For the surface reading intemperate can also mean uncontrolled or wild in general | 3.5 | 0 | 2 | |
| 27 | 22 | Lord's inclination ? Sobers up for taking it on (11) | Double definition.(As drunk as a lord). Story referring to the slope at Lord's cricket ground and Sir Garfield Sobers. | 3.5 | 2 | 1 | |
| 29 | 16 | In the cellar, final location, in illegal sense, for St Martin's evil. | DRUNK (In the cellar) + [locatio]N in SENSE*, def. St Martin's evil. St Martin-in-the-fields now has a café in the crypt that serves wine! Being the 11th of November, St Martin's Day (Martinmas) is not celebrated so widely as in the past. | 2 | 0 | 2 | |
| 29 | 18 | Inn bloke undresses — i.e. slob ——— made naughty? | comp. anag. & lit. | 2 | 0 | 1 | |
| 29 | 21 | Intoxication, according to one's knowledge and admitted by unorthodox nun, split dress. | DR(UN(KEN)N)ESS; according to one's knowledge = ken; definition = intoxication | 2 | 0 | ||
| 29 | 24 | Manage dog's home almost completely within old department of high state | RUN + KENNE(L) inside DSS (Department of Social Security): High state = drunkenness | 2 | 0 | 1 | |
| 33 | 19 | Insight into nun dress – variation of leathered habit | KEN (insight) "into" NUNDRESS* (variation), of leathered habit = def. (leathered = slang for drunk) | 1.5 | 2 | ||
| 33 | 33 | The Scotsman's not recognised missing editor wearing bandage (the result of a bender) | (UNKENNED – ED) in DRESS | 1.5 | 0 | 1 | |
| 35 | 14 | Doesn’t cider sunk on “inn tour” lead to this condition? | Semi-&lit comp anag (tour) DOESNTCIDERSUNKONINN/DRUNKENNESSCONDITION | 1 | 1 | ||
| 36 | 15 | From a sip it starts, it produces a piss artist with time (doubles often involved in latter stages) | & lit. (DRUNKENNESS makes A SIP IT STARTS rearrange to A PISS ARTIST with T; the answer has double letters towards the end which rules out INEBRIATION, for example). | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| 36 | 27 | Not having complete sense, like gegs? | Drunken SENS(e) in the same manner as the infamous clue. Def = not having complete sense. | 0 | 0 | 3 | |
| 36 | 30 | Soak guzzles right to the finish, won't stop, a monstrous place this intemperance | D(R)UNK+ENd+NESS | 0 | 1 |